30s Cafe Owner with 7 Employees, Why They Wrote a Handwritten Letter to Baedal Minjok

Thank You Messages Flood Baemin Academy... "Positive Influence"
Applying Learning Content to Business... Thank You Posts Flood SNS
Free Educational Program Provided to Over 40,000 Small Business Owners

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] On the 18th of last month, a handwritten letter was delivered to Kim Bong-jin, Chairman of Woowa Brothers. The letter was written by Im Seong-hwan (32), who runs the cafe 'Goeunbyeol' in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. Im wrote, "I have endured each day fiercely to survive, and if it weren't for Baedal Minjok, I wouldn't be here either." He also expressed his gratitude, saying, "I was able to overcome the loneliness and difficulties I felt when running the business alone through the Baemin Academy education."

Im has been connected with Baedal Minjok since 2015. Now, six years later, he has become a boss taking care of seven employees. He said that Baemin Academy has created a virtuous cycle where small business owners can grow. Since 2014, Baemin Academy has provided a total of over 650 free educational programs to more than 40,000 small business owners over the past seven years. At the end of his letter, he said, "From now on, I will also strive to become a person who can create a meaningful company like the chairman and have a positive influence."

Stories expressing gratitude for business success like Im’s continue to line up on the Baemin Academy website.

Nam Hae-yong, CEO of 'Cafe Dong-i,' which operates three Korean restaurants in Suseong-gu and Buk-gu, Daegu, shared how he overcame the COVID-19 crisis thanks to Baemin Academy. Nam said that last year’s sales were halved compared to the previous year. He said, "When customers suddenly stopped coming, I found the answer in delivery sales," adding, "I recalled what I learned at Baemin Academy and applied it step by step to my business." Thanks to this, he was able to maintain profitability even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kim Hong-seok, who has been running the spicy chicken specialty restaurant 'Kanpanneun Jip' in Seongsu-dong, Seoul for over 10 years, first learned about Baemin Academy in June when the impact of COVID-19 peaked. He took Baemin Academy’s online and offline programs during the lunch hours he had to suspend. He said, "It was very helpful because they taught know-how not provided in regular cooking schools, such as delivery food recipes considering the time until the food reaches the customer, in an easy-to-understand way." In particular, he said, "The mapo tofu I learned in that class was sold as a delivery menu, significantly increasing additional income."

People are also posting messages of thanks for Baemin Academy on their personal SNS. Kim So-hyang, who runs the bakery cafe 'Mama Plate' in Daegu, recently posted a photo of a cutting board engraved with the phrase "Respect to the Studying Boss." This cutting board was a gift from Baemin Academy after Kim was selected as an outstanding member.

Kim said, "The education covers everything from food and beverage to vegan menu development, design branding, labor, accounting, and management, and online education is also available, which has been a great help to us in the provinces," adding, "I will work even harder until the cutting board I received as an outstanding member gift is completely worn out."

Baemin Academy is a free educational program that teaches "how to run a business and how to cook and sell menus." Kwon Yong-gyu, Head of Value Management at Woowa Brothers, said, "The goal of Baemin Academy is to help business owners properly and sustainably run their businesses, helping them overcome crises and grow as much as possible," adding, "We will create programs that can help more self-employed people in the food service industry."

Currently, Baemin Academy is focusing on online education due to the spread of COVID-19. Since its launch in July last year, the online education offers a total of 126 free courses, including 'Cost Analysis Using Excel,' 'Hygiene Habits for Keeping Stores Clean,' and 'How to Attract Potential Customers to Your Store Through Blog Marketing.'